The Lytton-Nickeyeah Creek water treatment plant is the result
of a unique coming-together of a strategic network group (Natural
Sciences and Engineering Research Council-NSERC, called RES'EAU-WaterNET),
some pro-active First Nations treatment plant operators, and
the design-manufacturer, with it's most senior engineer, George
Thorpe.

RES'EAU-WaterNET works closely with communities to understand
the limitations and constraints they face. The ultimate goal
is to produce integrated solutions that are effective for the
community.

The water
treatment system housed in a modified container makes
it portable
and less expensive to build and commission.

RES'EAU-WaterNET's mobile water treatment pilot plant visited
the site in Lytton and conducted tests on the source water as
well as consulted with the community and the operators to both
train and plan a system together that would be effective over
the long term.

"It is important for the success of the project to have
sufficient community input during the design phase," says
Madjid Mohensi, professor in the Department of Chemical and
Biological Engineering at UBC and one of the lead researchers
involved.

Lead operator
Jim Brown at the source water.

Jim Brown, maintenance manager and operation supervisor at
Lytton First Nation organized the community input and fully
collaborated with the RES'EAU team at various stages of the
project.

"We require a cost-effective system that can handle our
source water challenges, and one that can be operated reliably
using the resources we have in the community", said Brown.
As part of the consultations, it was brought to light that residents
disliked the unstable chlorine residual that resulted from changes
in organic content of the source water.

"If I could drink out of a tap and it was good water I'd
be saving millions," Nickeyeah elder Ruby Dunstan had said
in an interview while the pilot study was underway. She was
buying many litres a week of bottled drinking water for her
family since moving to the area about 20 years ago.

BI Pure Water and RES'EAU-WaterNET also worked closely with
Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) during
the plant's design and rollout, in part to meet the budgetary
requirements. A previous system quoted by a consulting engineering
firm was deemed far too expensive, according to Brown.

In the winter of 2015 a water treatment plant was designed
and built that the operators know how to maintain. It serves
a remote community that has suffered from boil water advisories
for many years.

The plant
can be monitored and operated via the HMI interface on
the control panel, top right.

The water treatment plant (WTP) is designed to make 19 L/min
of water with a maximum day demand of 27 CUM/D (7,133 USG).
The system uses pre-filtration, ultraviolet disinfection, and
chlorine disinfection.

Pre-filtration is accomplished with up to six filter stages
consisting of a basket strainer, self cleaning spin filters,
bag filters, cartridge filters and activated carbon filter for
removing the potential for chlorine byproducts. The filters
require a simple changeout or cleaning occasionally when indicated
by pressure indicators before and after each filter. The UV
can be monitored by its controller and lamps changed out approx
every year. Chlorine application is flow paced and conducted
by an injection system. Just the tank levels and control panel
need to be monitored.

At RES'EAU-WaterNET's annual meeting Jim Brown presented P.Eng.
George Thorpe with a symbolic gift of necklace, stating, "I
am giving this to George because he's the one that has managed
to remove everything and make the water pure."

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